THEATER MANAGEMENT & STRUCTURES

The Guthrie Theater: Mission Statement & Programming Impact

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• Mission: To produce classic and contemporary plays, cultivate the next generation of theater artists, and connect the community.

• Programming Impact: The season is split intentionally between foundational classics (e.g., Shakespeare, Chekhov, or A Christmas Carol) and modern, diverse scripts (e.g., Sweat by Lynn Nottage) to fulfill both pillars of their mission.

• Season Type: An annual subscription-based season running from early fall through summer.

Structure A: Non-Profit Dual Leadership (The Guthrie Model)

• The Structure: Led by partners: the Artistic Director (AD) (handles artistic vision, season selection, hiring directors/actors) and the Managing Director (MD) (handles business, budgets, marketing, facilities).

• Governance: Run by a non-profit Board of Directors of about 61 members made up of volunteer community and business leaders. There is no single producer. The board holds fiduciary responsibility and hires/fires the AD and MD.

Structure B: Commercial Top-Down Leadership (Broadway Model)

• The Structure: A strict top-down hierarchy led by a Lead Producer who has absolute creative and financial veto power. The producer hires a General Manager (GM) to handle daily operations, payroll, and contracts.

• Governance: No board exists. The producer answers strictly to Investors/Backers (Limited Partners) who fund the show to earn a financial profit but have no operational say.

Peer Presentation Theater to Visit: Steppenwolf Theatre Company

• Type of Work: Ensemble-driven, visceral, gritty contemporary theater focused heavily on raw American dramas and new work.

• Number of Stages & Orientations (3 total):

  1. Downstairs Theater: 400-seat Proscenium (traditional picture-frame arch).

  2. Ensemble Theater: 400-seat Theater-in-the-round (audience completely surrounds the stage).

  3. 1650 Studio Theater: Flexible Black Box space.

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Earned Income vs. Contributed Income (Development)

• Earned Income: Money made directly via transactions (ticket sales, subscriptions, merchandise, concessions). Typically only covers 40–60% of a non-profit's budget.

• Contributed Income: Money raised by the Development Department to bridge the deficit. Includes Individual Giving (donors/board), Corporate Sponsorships (businesses), and Institutional Grants (foundations/government like the NEA

Production Dramaturgy vs. New Play Development

Production Dramaturgy: Researching historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts of a script to create research packets for the actors/director and writing playbill program notes.

New Play Development: Acting as a critical, structural sounding board for a playwright working on a world premiere—helping them refine plot and character without rewriting their lines.

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Production Calendars vs. Rehearsal Reports

• Production Calendar: A master timeline tracking every institutional deadline for a show (design approvals, set construction deadlines, load-in, tech, previews, opening).

• Rehearsal Report: A daily log sent by the Stage Manager to all department heads after every rehearsal to communicate physical changes or needs discovered in the room (e.g., prop adjustments or costume fixes).

Non-Profit vs. Commercial Theaters: Main Differences

• Core Driver: Non-profits focus on a mission statement and community impact; commercial theaters focus on maximizing financial profit for investors.

• Run Length: Non-profits use fixed-run seasons (set closing date regardless of sales); commercial theater uses open-ended runs (runs as long as weekly revenue beats weekly running costs).

• Surplus: Non-profits must reinvest surplus revenue into the company; commercial theater distributes profits to backers.

Key Jargon: LORT & Paper Tech

• LORT (League of Resident Theatres): The largest professional association of non-profit theaters in the US. They issue standardized tiered contracts with theatrical unions based on a theater's weekly box office revenue.

• Paper Tech: A pre-tech meeting where the Director, Stage Manager, and Designers step through the script to write every technical cue into the master prompt book before the actors arrive on stage.

Key Jargon: Load-In, Strike, and Tech

• Load-In: Moving scenery, lighting, and sound gear out of construction shops and installing them into the theater.

• Tech (Technical Rehearsals): Integrating all mechanical/artistic elements (lights, sound, scenic moves) with the actors' movements.

• Strike: The systematic dismantling and removal of the set and props immediately after the final performance.

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